Tom Cruise’s Closest Encounter With Death Didn’t Come from Mission Impossible That Nearly Left Him Decapitated
Tom Cruise has established himself as a global megastar. The immense success of the Mission: Impossible franchise has been a cherry on top of his already outstanding career. The Top Gun star has had a bit of a reputation when it comes to his more dynamic roles. As the ultimate poster boy of fearlessness and action, Cruise infamously does his own stunts.
This choice of his has surely deprived some poor man of making a fortune by being Tom Cruise’s stunt double. But being a daredevil comes with its challenges. One time Cruise almost paid too big a price for the same but many would be surprised it wasn’t during Mission: Impossible.
Tom Cruise Almost Got Decapitated
Jumping from buildings or off a large cliff, Tom Cruise has done it all and more. The Edge of Tomorrow star has voluntarily made sustaining injuries a part of his lifestyle. Even though the actor has never let anything stop him from performing his own stunts, he came close when he nearly lost his neck.
During the filming of the 2003 period action drama The Last Samurai, things got pretty dangerous. A film of that cadre required some extensive tools. As a result, the actors found themselves riding mechanical horses and fighting with metal swords.
In a scene that involved Cruise and Japanese actor and martial artist Hiroyuki Sanada, the technical horse malfunctioned a bit and didn’t stop where it was supposed to. The scene required Sanada’s character to attack Cruise’s character, the unexpected movement of the horse turned it into a brutal attack and the sword got a little too close to Cruise.
Tom Cruise‘s Co-Star Saved His Life
The fact that he was working with a trained martial artist like Sanada became Cruise’s saving grace at that moment. Even though the horse did not stop as it was supposed to, Sanada was able to control his arm and take the metal sword away from Cruise’s neck. Truth be told, it had gotten near his face. As the megastar told IGN in a press conference for the film:
“We were filming one day, and I was on a mechanical horse and Hiro was on one as well. He was approaching me when his horse suddenly struck me, and his sword was exactly here. It was an inch. (points an inch from his neck)”
When it comes to action, the Mission: Impossible franchise is unparalleled. Hence, it is certainly interesting that Cruise’s nearest brush with death doesn’t come from those movies. The mechanical failure of the horse could have caused severe damage. But this isn’t the first of Cruise’s encounters with danger and with his daredevil attitude, it surely won’t be the last.
The Last Samurai is available for streaming on Paramount+.
